In its first two seasons of existence, the AAC has gotten very little love from the NCAA tournament committee, with notable snubs in 2014 (SMU) and 2015 (Temple). Hopefully that changes this year, as the league looks to be much stronger than in prior seasons. The top teams look like real top teams, and the anchor that was the bottom of the league may actually have crossed over into the world of adequacy. You’ll hear a lot of new names this season, as many AAC teams will be relying heavily on veteran transfers and postgraduate players from high-major programs.
Projected Finish:
1) Connecticut Huskies
2) SMU Mustangs
3) Cincinnati Bearcats
4) Memphis Tigers
5) Tulsa Golden Hurricane
6) Houston Cougars
7) Temple Owls
8) East Carolina Pirates
9) Tulane Green Wave
10) Central Florida Knights
11) South Florida Bulls
Player of the Year: Nic Moore, SMU
All-AAC First Team:
Nic Moore, SMU
Sterling Gibbs, UConn
Markus Kennedy, SMU
James Woodard, Tulsa
Daniel Hamilton, UConn
Connecticut Huskies
Head Coach: Kevin Ollie
2014-15 record: 20-15
Going into the season, the UConn Huskies appear to have improved as much as anyone in the country, adding postgraduates Sterling Gibbs and Shonn Miller, as well as five-star guard Jalen Adams and four-star big man Steven Enoch.
In the frontcourt, the Huskies return center Amida Brimah, the incumbent AAC Defensive Player of the Year and one of the nation’s best shot-blockers. Brimah made huge strides last season with his offensive game and ability to avoid fouls, but he routinely struggled against stronger frontcourt players and remains a mediocre rebounder. Expect him to be joined in the starting lineup by Cornell postgrad Shonn Miller, a two-time first-team All-Ivy League player. Miller brings elite low-post defense and defensive rebounding, as well as a strong face-up game on offense. Miller struggled from deep last year (28-of-104), and he figures to work primarily from the midrange in this season now that he’s playing with more talented teammates on offense.
Gibbs takes over for stalwart point guard Ryan Boatright, and looks to replicate nearly everything Boatright brought on offense. Gibbs is an effective floor general and an exceptional shooter, and figures to have the ball in his hands in critical situations. His defense isn’t on the same level as Boatright’s, but his superior size will help him match up against bigger guards. Surrounding Gibbs will be returning starters Rodney Purvis and Daniel Hamilton. Purvis may not have been the Ferrari Kevin Ollie had hoped for, but he showed the ability to take over games at times, particularly in a late-season drubbing of league champion SMU. He’ll need to improve his shooting, especially from the charity stripe – he’s a career 53% shooter from the line – but he’s a powerful athlete and a vocal leader whose enthusiasm energizes his teammates. The versatile Hamilton was very impressive at times last year, and formed a strong bond on offense with Brimah, leading to a number of easy baskets for the latter. If his development leads to a tighter handle and a more consistent jump shot, Hamilton could be a very dangerous player this season.
Brimah and Miller will be backed up by veteran big man Phil Nolan, who started down the stretch of the 2014 title run, and enigmatic junior Kentan Facey. Nolan doesn’t exactly fill up the stat sheet, but he’s a smart player who plays effective low post defense and loves to take charges. Facey showed flashes last season, particularly on the boards, but his focus was inconsistent, and his minutes dwindled late in the season. Freshman Steven Enoch might be the team’s most talented big man, but his defensive footwork will need to improve before he becomes and impact player.
Adams, an explosive combo guard out of Boston, figures to be the team’s top reserve. He’ll have a lot of hype coming in, and he demonstrated a lot of skills and athleticism in leading a loaded Brewster Academy team to the NEPSAC championship last year. Further perimeter depth will come from swingman Omar Calhoun, still looking to replicate the form he showed as a freshman in 2012-13, and Sam Cassell, Jr., who was slowed by injuries much of last season after being named a Junior College All-American in 2013-14.
Bottom line: The Huskies have the talent to make a Final Four run this season, but they need their returning players, particularly Purvis, Hamilton, and Brimah, to be more consistent.
Southern Methodist University Mustangs
Head Coach: Larry Brown
2014-15 record: 27-7
Larry Brown’s Mustangs won the AAC regular season and tournament titles last year, and with that, attended their first NCAA tournament since 1993, only to have their hearts broken by a questionable (read: objectively wrong) goaltending call in a first-round loss to UCLA. SMU returns three starters from that team, including Nic Moore, the reigning AAC Player of the Year.
The Mustangs will miss Yanick Moreira’s length inside, but they return Markus Kennedy and Ben Moore, while adding Texas Tech transfer Jordan Tolbert. Kennedy is an all-league talent who should excel in a full season after missing several games last year due to eligibility issues. Moore is a versatile big who brings a variety of skills on offense and defense, and Tolbert is a bruising power forward who put up strong numbers in the Big 12 for three years. Most of the minutes up front will likely be divided among this capable trio, with Duke transfer Semi Olejeye also a candidate for some minutes at the four when Brown decides to go small.
Nic Moore is the team’s star, and an All-American candidate. He proved to be a capable lead scorer last year while running the offense with aplomb. His defense is merely adequate, but his overall toughness is unquestionable. He’ll likely be joined in the backcourt by Keith Frazier, who was limited to 17 games last year due to academic issues, though this has not yet been confirmed. Frazier, if eligible, gives the Mustangs a capable third scorer behind Nic Moore and Kennedy, though his outside shooting needs some work. Sterling Brown joins Moore and Frazier on the perimeter, primarily to provide solid wing defense. He could be pushed by Olejeye once the latter becomes eligible in December. Freshman Shake Milton, a tough, physical combo guard, should also play significant minutes, potentially allowing Nic Moore to play off the ball, maximizing his shooting ability. Milton is likely to start in the event that Frazier isn’t eligible next season. Guard Sedrick Barefield and wing Jarrey Foster may struggle to find consistent minutes as freshmen.
Bottom line: the Mustangs are a deep, veteran team that boasts a good mix of inside and outside scoring, defense, and rebounding. Expect this group to make some real noise in March.
Cincinnati Bearcats
Head Coach: Mick Cronin
2014-15 record: 23-11
Cincinnati returns nearly everyone from a team that finished second in the AAC and beat Purdue in the NCAA tournament last year. With head coach Mick Cronin back following a health scare, the Bearcats are another AAC team with the potential to win the league and do some damage in the postseason.
In an unusual twist, Cincinnati finished the season without any players averaging double figures in points, with center Octavius Ellis coming just short (9.9ppg). He’ll anchor the frontcourt again this season, forming a formidable duo with forward Gary Clark. Both players can hold their own on offense, but the strength of this group is their defense, with the two players finishing first and second in the AAC in Defensive Rating last season. Another defensive stalwart, Shaquille Thomas, will provide depth, along with shot-blocking center Coreontae DeBerry.
In the backcourt, the Bearcats are led by point guard Troy Caupain, whom I’d love to see shoved into a mud puddle. Farad Cobb and Kevin Johnson return after providing quality minutes last year, and Deshaun Morman should play a bigger role in his sophomore year. Expect to see a lot of freshman guard Jacob Evans, my sleeper pick for AAC freshman of the year. Evans is a big, athletic guard who can score in a variety of ways, a skill that will definitely help him find the court for a team that struggled mightily to score at times last season. Freshman point guard Justin Jenifer brings great speed and aggressiveness, and the team will try to play in transition while he’s on the court.
Bottom line: With nearly their entire roster returning from an NCAA Tournament team, and some good complementary players coming in, Cincinnati will be a tough team all season, but they need to improve their efficiency on offense to get to the next level.
Memphis Tigers
Head Coach: Josh Pastner
2014-15 record: 18-14
Last season, Memphis missed the NCAA tournament for this first time since 2010, and only the second time in the last decade. Their hopes to start a new streak this year took a hit with the recent announcement that All-AAC forward Austin Nichols would transfer, but they may yet have the pieces to find themselves back in the big dance at the end of the season.
The Nichols saga was certainly an embarrassment for Josh Pastner and the Memphis basketball program, with the school initially refusing to grant Nichols’ release, then placing absurd restrictions on the schools to which the player would be allowed to transfer, only to immediately capitulate and drop all restrictions when Nichols and his family hired an attorney. To add injury to insult, the defection leaves a hole next to Shaq Goodwin in what was one of the league’s strongest frontcourts last season. With Nichols gone, Goodwin becomes the focus of the offense inside, and looks primed for a big senior year. As for Nichols’ replacement, Pastner isn’t without options. Veteran forward Trahson Burrell could slide over from the small forward spot, but his slight frame could be a problem against bigger forwards. The most likely candidates would be four-star freshmen Dedric Lawson and Nick Marshall, both top-60 players in the class of 2015. Lawson, a McDonald’s All-American, is the more talented player, and is the current favorite to start for the Tigers, but Marshall offers better size and length. Expect both players to see significant minutes, with spot duty coming from Burrell, Dedric’s brother K.J., another top-50 recruit, and veteran forward Chris Hawkins.
The backcourt, a problem area for the Tigers all season, got some good news in April when Alabama’s leading scorer, guard Ricky Tarrant, announced he would enroll Memphis following his graduation. Tarrant is a ball-handling combo guard who can get to the basket to score and to create for others, something sorely missed last year when Pastner had to rely too much on Vanderbilt import Kedren Johnson and freshman Pookie Powell (since departed for La Salle). Johnson will see more time off the ball this year, competing with the returning Avery Woodson and Markel Crawford for backcourt minutes.
Bottom line: Despite the loss of All-ACC forward Austin Nichols, Memphis has all the pieces to contend this season. Whether or not Josh Pastner is able put those pieces together remains to be seen.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Head Coach: Frank Haith
2014-15 record: 23-11
Despite a 23-win season that saw them at the top of the AAC for much of the year, Tulsa was found wanting by the selection committee. It’s probably now or never for the Golden Hurricane, as Frank Haith’s squad features 8 seniors on their roster. Add to that three juniors, and this team is about as veteran as it gets. And with at least those 8 players departing after this season, and only a pair of lightly-recruited freshmen forming their 2015 recruiting class, Tulsa may tumble hard next season. But for this season, things are looking pretty good.
The strength of this team is in the backcourt, featuring James Woodard and Shaquille Harrison, who made the All-AAC first- and second-teams, respectively, in Tulsa’s first season in the fledgling league. Woodard is the Golden Hurricane’s go-to player on offense, averaging 14.5ppg last year while hitting a solid 37% of his three-point attempts. Harrison provided a big assist as Tulsa’s floor leader, and turned in a fine defensive season as well, leading the AAC in steals. Tulsa relied on a few more guards as well, as they often played with 3 or 4 on the floor. Expect to see more of the same this year, with Rashad Ray and Marquel Curtis continuing to play big roles. Freshmen guards Sterling Taplin and Kajon Brown look to be used minimally behind the four veteran guards.
In the frontcourt, the picture is a little less rosy. Forward Rashad Smith had a bit of a down year, seeing his scoring rate drop by 41% as his FG% went from 55% to 46%. He was still one of the league’s better rebounders, but he’ll certainly be looking to try to regain his 2013-14 form. Unfortunately for Tulsa, despite a down year, Smith remained the team’s best frontcourt player. Center D’Andre Wright has seen his numbers drop every season he’s been at Tulsa, with his FG% reaching .389 last year, an unacceptable number for a big man. He’ll be pushed by fellow senior Brandon Swannegan, though both players’ tendency to get into foul trouble means that there will likely be plenty of minutes for them to share. As for frontcourt depth, Haith has to be hoping that Tareyaki Edogi or rarely-used Emmanuel Ezechinonso manages to make a big jump this season to steal some minutes.
Bottom line: Tulsa returns a veteran squad that won 23 games last year, but their issues up front are going to hamper their ability to contend for a league title in an improved AAC.
Houston Cougars
Head Coach: Kelvin Sampson
2014-15 record: 13-19
The mass exodus that occurred after Kelvin Sampson was hired in in April of 2014 doomed Houston before the season started, and the Cougars predictably struggled in Sampson’s first year following the transfers of four players, including stars Danuel House and TyShawn Thomas. The former Oklahoma and Indiana coach hopes to have the team back on the right track for this season with the additions of some transfers of his own.
The most talented of those transfers is Damyean Dotson, who was dismissed from Oregon following sexual misconduct allegations (though he was never charged due to a lack of evidence). If he can stay out of trouble, Dotson figures to start on the wing and be one of the Cougars top scorers. He’s an explosive athlete who can get to the basket, and he should pair well with Ronnie Johnson, a 6-0 guard who will be eligible this season after transferring from Purdue. Johnson is a good ballhandler who can play the point, and is a former top-100 recruit. He’s a good scorer with an improving jumper, but he’s giving up a lot of size as a shooting guard. Fortunately, the Cougars’ incumbent point guard, the 6-3 L.J. Rose, makes up for Johnson’s relative lack of size. Rose struggled with injuries last year, but the former Baylor commit (also a top-100 player out of high school) is an effective floor leader who gets his teammates involved, and was one of the top assist men in the AAC before a foot injury ended his season in February.
In the frontcourt, Houston returns big men Devonta Pollard and Danrad Knowles, who form an interesting duo. Pollard plays a center’s game with a forward’s body, and will be the Cougars’ go-to option in the post. Knowles has the length for the post, but prefers a face-up game that sees him taking a lot of jump shots from the midrange or deeper. Both players have flaws, but they complement each other well, making this frontcourt one of the more high-upside ones in the AAC.
On the bench, veteran wing LeRon Barnes figures to be the team’s sixth man after starting all last season. He’s a tough defender and a strong rebounder for his size, and he’ll see a lot of burn when Sampson chooses to go big. Dynamic JuCo guard Rob Gray, senior Eric Weary, and freshman Galen Robinson provide additional depth on the perimeter. Freshman Chris Harris spurned Texas A&M to stay in Houston, and his rebounding and shotblocking instincts will find him minutes. Sampson raided the JuCo ranks again for forwards Xavier Dupree and Kyle Meyer. Dupree initially committed to Arkansas State, but never played there, moving on to Paris Junior College in Paris, TX. Meyer struggled as a freshman at Iowa, but had a very impressive season last year at Eastern Florida State, averaging 15 points and more than 8 rebound per game, while hitting 38% of his three-pointers.
Bottom line: With a deep roster filled with talented, veteran players, Kelvin Sampson might just have the pieces to compete with the big boys this year.
Temple Owls
Head Coach: Fran Dunphy
2014-15 record: 26-11
Temple certainly looked to have an NCAA Tournament resumé last year, but like SMU in 2014, they were left out in the cold by the selection committee. Unfortunately for the Owls, they lost a few big pieces, and may have an even tougher time catching the committee’s eye this year.
The biggest losses for Fran Dunphy’s squad are on the perimeter, particular the graduations of All-AAC point guard Will Cummings and wing Jesse Morgan, the team’s #1- and #3-scorers last year. Cummings, in particular, will be missed, as this roster doesn’t have a true point guard on it. Dunphy will probably see what he can get out of returnees Josh Brown and Devin Coleman, both solid players, but neither is likely to be the full-time answer at the point. The best option may be incoming combo guard Levan Alston, a top-100 recruit who chose Temple over several big-name programs, such as Notre Dame, Purdue, Marquette, and Georgetown. Whoever ends up as the primary ballhandler, he’ll be relying heavily on top returning scorer Quenton DeCosey, a high-scoring wing who is Temple’s clear go-to player, and who will be eyeing a spot on the all-conference team this season. His shooting numbers took a bit of a tumble last year, and he’ll need to clean up his finishing around the rim if Temple is going to make any sort of run this season. Freshman Trey Lowe is an athletic wing with a lot of upside, but he’ll need to continue to develop his handle and his body before he’s ready to be an impact player at this level.
Jaylen Bond had a solid first season with the Owls after transferring from Texas. A tough rebounder and solid offensive player, he is more than capable of holding down the starting power forward spot, though his issues from the free throw line (36% last season) make him a liability late in games. At center, returnees Devontae Watson and Obi Enechionyia will get their opportunities, but freshman Ernest Aflakpui may be the best option here. He’s a lanky center with a developed body and strong footwork, making him a capable rebounder and rim-protector. His offense needs work, but neither Watson nor Enechionyia are going to be particularly reliable scorers. The Owls have enough capable bodies to avoid being run over in the post, but they won’t be winning many games there either.
Bottom line: some big personnel losses will make this somewhat of a rebuilding year for Temple, but a strong freshman class brings hope. If the young players come along quickly, this could be a team that gets hot late in the year.
East Carolina Pirates
Head Coach: Jeff Lebo
2014-15 record: 14-19
ECU had a predictably mediocre season last year, but like most of the AAC’s denizens, they appear to be on the rise. Jeff Lebo has gotten the Pirates to the postseason 3 times in his five years in Greenville, but never in a tournament more prestigious than the CIT. While this isn’t likely to be the season that ECU finds its way into the NIT or NCAA Tournament, this is a capable team that could surprise some people.
Starting point guard Antonio Robinson departs, but the backcourt is far from barren. Last season’s big surprise was combo guard B.J. Tyson, who led the Pirates with 12.5ppg while shooting 46% from the floor. Look for Tyson to be one of the AAC’s top guards as a sophomore while initiating the offense more often. He’ll be joined by senior Terry Whisnant, who asserted himself well last year after transferring from Florida State. The 6-3 guard was second on the team with 12.3ppg and hit on 37% of his three-point attempts. Lance Tejada should take on a bigger role this year, as well. Tejada struggled at times as a freshman, but he was highly recruited coming out of high school, choosing ECU over bigger programs like Virginia, Miami, Butler, Alabama, Texas A&M, Florida State, and others.
ECU also returns its third-leading scorer, forward Caleb White (12.2ppg). White, 6-7, developed into one of the league’s top three-point shooters last year, converting 41% of his attempts from behind the arc. He’ll be relied on heavily in the Pirates offense, but he doesn’t quite meet the need for a frontcourt scorer. For that, Lebo will have to rely on big men Marshall Guilmette and Michel-Ofik Nzege. Guilmette, at 6-10 and 250 pounds, struggled to regain his freshman-year form after injuries cost him nearly the entire 2013-14 season, but a bounce back this season is possible, as he possesses the size, skills, and athleticism to be an effective pivot in this league. Ofik-Nzege lacks the typical bruiser body, but asserted himself very well in limited minutes, and likely earned himself a lot more this season. He was a great finisher around the basket, finishing on 62% of his field goal attempts, but he gave a lot of points away , due to a 46% free throw rate. Both players will be pushed by four-star freshman Deng Riak, another long, skilled athlete who has all of the tools to succeed.Lebo’s only other freshman this year will be wing Kentrell Barkley, who mostly saw only mid-major offers. He did manage to add two quality JUCO transfers in 6-8 power forward Clarence Williams and 6-2 sharpshooter Charles Foster. Expect both to see significant minutes off the bench.
Bottom line: returning their top three scorers, the ECU Pirates will be a much more formidable opponent in 2014-15, and are indicative of the league’s improvement overall. They’ll still need a lot of things to go right before they have a reasonable chance to contend in the AAC, however.
Tulane Green Wave
Head Coach: Ed Conroy
2014-15 record: 15-16
Tulane had an up-and-down season in 2014-15: the up came during a 9-1 start, and while that was mostly against low- and mid-major programs, the Green Wave was 13-5 six games into the conference season before the wheels fell off and the lost 11 of their last 13. That was the down. With some intriguing new names on the roster, Ed Conroy may have the firepower to get his team into postseason play.
With starting point guard Jonathan Stark transferring to Murray State, leading scorer Louis Dabney will move back to his natural position after playing off the ball for the last two seasons. Dabney became a very effective long-range shooter last year, but his finishing in the lane suffered, as his 2P% dropped from .463 his sophomore year to .385 last year. It’s a lot to ask, but if he can reverse that trend while maintaining his long-range shooting and handling primary ball-handling duties, he could give the Green Wave a big year. As for the hole left by Stark’s departure? Enter LSU transfer Malik Morgan. Morgan was a big-time recruit coming out of high school, garnering offers from Georgia Tech, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Boston College before choosing the Tigers. He looked like a surefire high-major player as a freshman only to see his shooting take a tumble the next year, and now the River Ridge native will find himself very close to home. Dabney and Morgan figure to play a lot of minutes, but they’ll be spelled as needed by junior wing Kajon Mack, as well as freshmen Kain Harris and Von Julien.
Conroy’s surprising recruiting work has given him a happy dilemma of having to find time for his two highly-touted freshmen wings, Kipper Nichols or Melvin Frazier. Cameron Ridley, who missed most of last season with a broken hand, is the likely starter there, but he’ll get pushed by both of the new recruits. Nichols chose Tulane despite offers from six P5 schools – Maryland, Minnesota, Clemson, Nebraska, Penn State, and Northwestern – as well as some notable mid-major programs in Dayton, Xavier, and St. Joseph’s. Frazier had offers from Oklahoma, LSU, Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Northwestern, as well as Memphis and Houston. Both players bring a lot of positives, but fit into different play styles. Frazier is probably the better bet to get minutes early, as he’s a better, more-polished shooter who plays effectively away from the ball. Nichols is a higher-upside player due to his athleticism, but he’s at his best with the ball in his hands. Both players represent huge recruiting coups, and show that Tulane is leveraging their new conference affiliation to bring in better talent than ever.
Some of that new talent will appear in the front court. While widebody Dylan Osetkowski should continue to man the pivot very well for the Green Wave, Conroy managed to lure a tantalizing new talent back home to New Orleans. Local product Jernard Jarreau may be Tulane’s most talented player, a lanky four-man who can do a bit of everything. He was never quite able to fit his game to Lorenzo Romar’s style at Washington, but by graduating early, he was able to enroll at Tulane with immediate eligibility and potentially two years remaining. After initially announcing he’d do his graduate work at Oklahoma State, Jarreau changed his mind and decided to come home. His and Osetkowski’s skills are perfectly complementary, with Osetkowski doing most of the grunt work down low, freeing Jarreau up to create and face up on the hoop. With his skill, length, and athleticism, he could create matchup problems for a number of teams. Frontcourt depth will come from freshmen bigs Blake Paul and the enormous Taron Oliver, with the versatile Reynolds likely seeing time at both forward spots.
Bottom line: an impressive influx of talent has Tulane thinking it’s ready to take a step forward. While they’ll likely still struggle to finish in the top half of a very competitive AAC, this team has gotten a lot better since last season.
Central Florida Knights
Head Coach: Donnie Jones
2014-15 record: 12-18
Central Florida hasn’t been able to do much in basketball since entering the AAC, and while they’re very unlikely to contend on an serious level this year, some new additions should have them more competitive.
The Knights will miss Brandon Goodwin, who started all 30 games at point guard last season, but who chose to transfer (or was asked to) after being arrested for stealing a bicycle on campus last year. Leading scorer B.J. Taylor will likely take over as the floor leader, a role that suits his playmaking skills well. Taylor is a smart, strong guard and acquitted himself very well as a freshman. He’ll be joined by sharpshooting wing Adonys Henriquez, the team’s second-leading scorer last year. From there, Donnie Jones has a few options. The safer (and more likely, at least initially) move is to go smaller and start guard Daiquan Walker, a capable scorer who improved his long-distance shooting last year. Another possibility would be wing Tanksley Efianayi, a Junior College All-American out of Daytona State College last year. Efianayi averaged 20 points and 6 rebounds per game last year, and spurned offers from P5 schools like Florida State, Arizona State, and Kansas State, among other. If Jones goes this route, he may be rewarded with another dynamic scorer to take pressure off of Taylor and Henriquez. Freshmen guards Chance McSpadden and Brendon Boyle provide necessary depth here, but they’ll likely be used sparingly.
Staphon Blair is a big, strong power forward who has developed into a capable starter at this level, averaging nearly 8 points and 6 rebounds per game last season. Jones has a couple of options at center, both of them enormous. Junior behemoth Justin McBride returns, ready to bang bodies again this season. The 6-10 McBride weighs in at well over 300 pounds, and he uses his strength well, but his poor conditioning will probably limit him to part-time minutes. The other giant on the UCF roster is four-star freshman center Tacko Fall. At 7-6, Fall will be the tallest player in NCAA basketball this season, and one of the tallest players ever. Fall has a lot of upside due to his size and relative agility, but having him or McBride on the court means a relatively plodding offense, as neither is effective in the transition game. As a result, expect to see UCF play in the half-court most of the time, with veteran Shaheed Davis or freshman Chad Brown coming in to give UCF a smaller, more mobile lineup.
Bottom Line: UCF is moving the right direction, with a young, exciting roster, but this team is at least a year away from any serious contention in this league.
South Florida Bulls
Head Coach: Orlando Antigua
2014-15 record: 9-23
When the South Florida Bulls finished fourth in the Big East in 2011-12, with a 12-6 record in-league, followed by not one but two NCAA tournament wins, it seemed like the program had turned a corner and was finally ready for prime time. Since that season, they’ve gone 33-62, with Stan Heath being replaced by former obnoxious Pitt Panther Orlando Antigua, who led the team to a 9-23 record in his first year at the helm. Unfortunately, it looks like things may not improve this season.
The Bulls lose their starting backcourt, following the departures of Corey Allen and Anthony Collins. Allen, a dynamic, high-effort scorer who was the focus of the team’s offense, will be very difficult to replace. Collins was a capable floor leader who never excelled at creating his own shot. In Collins’ place, Antigua will likely turn to Maryland transfer Roddy Peters. Peters, a top-50 player coming out of high school in 2013, struggled to assert himself with the Terps as a freshman, and saw his minutes decline precipitously in the second half of the season when Seth Allen returned from injury. He’ll be given a much longer leash in Tampa, and could excel in the AAC.
Wing Nehemias Morillo is one of two returning Bulls who averaged double figures in points last year, and figures to start at guard or small forward. At the other spot, the most likely candidates are guard Troy Holston and forward Bo Ziegler, depending on what kind of lineup Antigua chooses to play. Holston has more upside, with better athleticism and a fine shooting stroke that he didn’t show off last year. Another option would be Gonzaga postgrad Angel Nunez. Nunez’s story is a peculiar one, as he was heavily recruited coming out of high school, with offers from Arizona, Indiana, and your Connecticut Huskies. He committed to Louisville, where he played only 27 minutes as a freshman, before transferring to Gonzaga. With the Bulldogs, he continued to struggle to earn minutes, averaging under 7mpg in 52 career games in Spokane. However, when he was on the floor, he was very effective, with per/40 minute numbers of better than 18 points and 11 rebounds, while shooting 50% from the floor. There are obvious sample-size issues here, but given the opportunity, Nunez could produce for the Bulls and be a real difference maker for them. Freshman guard Jahmal McMurray looks to provide depth.
Big man Chris Perry, limited to 19 games last year due to various health ailments, is the top returning player. A bruising power forward, the 6-8 Perry is an effective shot-blocker and rebounder, and scores well inside as needed, averaging just under 11ppg on 49% shooting. He’ll be joined up front by sophomore center Ruben Guerrero or senior Jaleel ‘Not Boogie’ Cousins. Both players can protect the rim and do good work on the glass, but Cousins tends to find himself in foul trouble early, so Guerrero will likely see the bulk of the minutes. They’ll be joined by four-star freshman forward Luis Santos who will provide good depth, and who could carve out serious minutes if he develops quickly. Brazilian combo forward Tulio de Silva was expected to help here as well, but he has yet to enroll in school, and seems a longshot to join the team at this point.
Bottom line: South Florida is in the early stages of rebuilding and simply lacks the personnel to compete in a very deep AAC. It’s very early for Orlando Antigua, but he’ll need the Bulls to start developing at some point or he could find himself looking for a new job.
